All News

September 11, 2005

Damage Caused By Visiting Presidential Aircraft

Accepting some responsibility (and swallowing just a tiny bit of
crow) for damaging a runway at the Las Cruces airport during a
presidential visit last year, the Air Force has offered to pay the
airport $623,000 for repairs -- which is much less than the $2.1
million that airport authorities had asked for.

Third Accident In Three Days, Sixth This Year

The bodies of all thirteen passengers aboard an Antonov An-26
that went down Friday outside of Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
have been recovered, as authorities scrambled to find clues to the
second crash of that type -- in that country -- in three days.

Accuse Airline Of Flying 54 Times With Unaddressed Maintenance
Problem

Federal prosecutors in New York filed a $1 million lawsuit
against American Airlines, accusing the carrier of flying a
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 with a known fuel leak more than 50 times
before the problem was finally addressed.

Deputy NASA Administrator Was Three-Time Shuttle Flier

Former President Of McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Also Worked On
SR-71

Jack Real, an engineer, test pilot and aviation pioneer, died
Tuesday after a long illness. Real served as a member of the SCAA
Board of Directors recipient of the prestigious Howard Hughes
Memorial Award in 1990, Real was most instrumental in locating the
Hughes Flying Boat "Spruce Goose" at Evergreen Museum where he
served as Chairman Emeritus.

"[Air Force officials] have told us in no uncertain terms that
they're really struggling to meet their budget.... If we don't
receive a commitment by the end of the year, our supplier base will
start knocking off."
Source: Boeing C-17 Program Manager David M.
Bowman telling the Los Angeles Times that if the Air
Force refuses to extend the C-17 manufacturing contract,
Boeing will have to start phasing out production by 2008.